Refrigerating apparatus



March 225, 1941. w. w. HIGHAM' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CJz'ZZz'am 6.). Mfg/1am 7 ATLTOQIZNEYS March 25 1941. w. w. HIGHAM REFRI'GERATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1939 1 p Q 4, a a a 5 h 'INVENTOR. CJzZZzam C). Hzg/vczm ATTORNEYS March 25, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet 35 INVENTOR. (Jz'Nz'am C). Higham Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS William W. Higham, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Universal Cooler Corporation, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application June 2, 1939, Serial No. 276,941

10 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and has to do particularly with a heat absorbing or cooling structure, which structure includes an evaporator. The invention is devoted particularly to an arrangement for the cooling or refrigeration of a plurality of compartments and wherein it is feasible to'obtain diiierent temperatures in the compartments.

In accordance with this invention a structure for the refrigerating units preferably takes the form of that in the Higham and Morse Patent No. 2,138,525 of November 29, 1938, wherein a long strip of metal, which may be extruded, is fashioned into coils. As set forth in said patent, such a strip may be of metal capable of being extruded and worked, such, for example, as an aluminum or aluminum alloy, or other metals. The object of the present invention is to provide an evaporator of this nature, which may be disposed and arranged to cool one compartment directly and to also cool one or more secondary refrigerating mediums which may have circula tory paths of movement through one or more other cooling elements disposed in one or more other compartments. Where. a plurality of secondary cooling or refrigerating mediums are used, the arrangement may be such that one medium is cooled more than the other, to the end that difierent temperatures may be maintained in different compartments. These and other objects will become more apparentas the detailed description progresses in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Structures for carrying out the invention are shown in the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet showing the cooling arrangement and illustrating the cabinet with the door open.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view taken substantially online 22 of Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating the arrangement at one end of the evaporator.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the evaporator unit.

Fig. 6 is a view with some parts in sectio illustrating a modified form.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating a further modified form.

In Fig. 1 the cabinet is more or less diagrammatically illustrated at I having the usual door 2 and a lower compartment 3 which may house the mechanism such as the compressor. Above the compartment 3 is the refrigerating space shown 01 bent through 180 as shown at 23.

(Cl. Git-95) herein as being divided into three compartments 4, 5, and 6 by partitions land 8. A tube 9 may extend from compartment 4 downwardly to the compartment 3 for conducting liquid refrigerant, while a tube Ill is for carrying the evaporated refrigerant in gaseous form from the evaporator back to the compressor in the compartment 3.

The evaporator is generally shown in Fig. 5, and it is formed by a plurality of coils or runs of a strip of metal, the cross sectional shape of which is illustrated in Fig 3. This strip of metal comprises a body portion l2 with flanges I3 and It, and the body portion has three hollow or tube-like formations illustrated at l6, l1 'and I8. The evaporator is formed by successive coils or runs indicated at 20, the runs being fashioned back and forth. The entrance end, where the tube 9 connects, has the flanges l3 and it removed, and the strip is divided or split so that the central form I! may be turned upwardly and connected with tube 9. A controlling device for controlling flow of refrigerant into the evaporator, such as an expansion valve or the like is illustrated at 2|. The two tubular forms l6 and I8 may be turned downwardly. The first run extends for asuitable distance with the flanges intact, and then the flanges are removed for a portion of the length, and the stock is fashioned then returns along side of the first run where the flanges are again removed and the strip fashioned through 180 to form another bend or big'ht 23 connecting into the third run or coil, and this continues until an evaporator of a suitable size is provided. At the outlet end the central portion i1 is connected to the return line Ill, while tubular portions l6 and I8 may be turned downwardly, this being accomplished by removing the flanges and splitting the strip, as illustrated. The run or coils ar arranged so that the flanges and strip cooperate to form a substantially solid wall, as illustratedin Fig. 5, and 'to this end the meeting flanges of the successive runs may be secured together as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this connection a strip of U-shape in cross section is illustrated at 24 and may be fashioned over the dovetail shaped ribs 25 on the edges of the flanges. In this manner a solid wall is formed and trays of water or food stuffs to be frozen or to be kept in a frozen condition may be placed upon the wall provided by the runs 20.

Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 2, liquid refrigerant enters the central tubular form ll, passes through The strip the successive runs and then passes out through the suction line [0.

The compartment 5 may be provided with a cooling element generally illustrated at 21 and this cooling element may be formed also ih accordance with the above mentioned Higham and Morse patent comprising a strip which may be extruded, having a tubular portion 28 and flanges 29 which may be secured together at their edges. The flanges are removed from the strip where the tube is to be given a reverse bend as shown at 30. Tube lines 3i and 32 connect the passageway I8 in the evaporator to the tube 28 of the cooling unit 21. These tubes may be secured to the portions [8 and 28 in any suitable manner, preferably by a fused -metal connection which may be in the nature of a soldering operation, brazing operation or weld, the connections being illustrated at 34. The compartment 6 has a cooling unit 36 which, as shown, is of the same structure as the cooling unit 27, and it is connected by the tube lines 3? and 38 to the tube formation it. The connections are illustrated again at 34.

A suitable fluid heat-transferring medium is placed in the interconnecting tubular formations I8, 28, 3| and 32, and this medium may advantageously be a suitable liquid which substantially fills these passageways. Likewise, a suitable fluid heat transfer medium is placed in the cooling unit 36 and advantageously preferably fills the tube connections 31 and 38 and the tubular structure [6.

In the operation of the device liquid refrigerant is passed to the evaporator through the control element 2! and this expands and evaporates into gaseous form in the passageway i7, and is removed in gaseous form through the suction line It. This cools the compartment l. At the same time the heat transfer fluid for the compartment 5 is cooled by the transfer of heat from the refrigerant in the passageways ill to the transfer medium in the tubular formation iii. This heat transfer medium may be caused to circulate by thermosiphon action, the medium being cooled in the upper portion of its circulatory path and flowing downwardly to the compartment where it is warmed by the absorption of heat. Similarly, the heat transfer medium in the secondary system, including the cooling unit 36, cools the lower compartment with the arrangement shown. The two compartments 5 and 6 may be cooled to about the same temperature, inasmuch as the evaporating refrigerant is passed through the central tubular formation ll, thus substantially equally cooling the medium in the formations IE5 and it. The compartment 4, of course, may be maintained at a lower temperature than compartments 5 or 6. Even in this arrangement, compartments 5 and 6 may be varied as to their refrigeration by varying the size of the cooling units therein or by restricting the flow of the cooling medium.

A modified arrangement is shown in Fig, 6 wherein the evaporator and cooling units are of the same structure as that just described, and the same reference characters are applied to corresponding parts. This avoids the necessity of duplicate description. In this case, however, the refrigerant passes through one of the end tubular formations in the strip which forms the evaporator, as for example, the passageway 18. One of the secondary cooling units, as for example, the cooling unit in the compartment 5, is connected to the central conduit formation 11 by it tubes 3| and 32; whereas the other secondary cooling unit, that is the one for the lower compartment 6, has its tube lines 31 and 38 connected into the opposite end conduit formation I 6. In this way, the cooling medium in the secondary unit for cooling the compartment 5, being next adjacent the refrigerant, is cooled more than the cooling medium in the secondary unit for the compartment 6. Accordingly, the compartment 5 may be held at a lower temperature than the compartment 6. Additional variation may be obtained by varying the size or capacity of the secondary units and the flow of the heat transfer medium.

In Fig. 7 a system is shown where there is only one secondary cooling unit and corresponding parts in this view bear the same reference characters as those which have been heretofore used. The evaporator in this form comprises a strip with only two tubular formations therein tit and 41. The strip, however, may otherwise be similar to the strip shown in Fig. 3, and the evaporator may be constructed along the lines of that shown in Fig. 5. The refrigerant line 9 connects to the tubular form 36, and the suction line H] connects to the other end of the tubular form 456. The cooling unit 38 is connected to the tubular form or passageway ll through the tubes or pipes 49 and 50. Thus refrigerant cools the upper compartment (la directly and cools the lower compartment 5a through the means of a fluid transfer medium in the secondary co'oling unit and circulatory path, in the manner as above described. The relative sizes of the several compartments, as illustrated herein, are of no particular consequence, as the sizes of the compartments may be varied.

The secondary cooling systems may be assembled and sealed with a primary cooling system, and each secondary system may then be charged with its cooling fluid. This may be done by means of a charging valve 5i I claim:

1. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a strip of metal having a plurality of passages running lengthwise therethrough in heat exchange relationship substantially from end to end of the strip, said strip being fashioned into runs or coils to form a primary cooling unit, means for introducing condensed refrigerant into one of the passages and for conducting evaporated refrigerant from said passage, and a secondary cooling unit having a passage therein and connected to one of said plurality of passages in the said strip and forming therewith a closed circuitous path for a fluid cooling medium.

2. In a refrigerating system, the combination of an integral strip of metal having a plurality of passages running lengthwise therethrough in heat exchange relationship substantially from end to end of the strip, said strip being fashioned into runs or coils to form a primary cooling element, means for conducting condensed refrigerant into one of the passages and for canducting evaporated refrigerant from said passage, a secondary cooling unit having a passage therein, and conduits connecting the passage of the secondary cooling unit to one of the other passages in said integral strip to form therewith a closed circuitous path for a fluid cooling medium.

3. In a refrigerating system, the combination of an integral strip of metal having a plurality of passages running lengthwise therethrough in heat exchange relationship substantially from ment, means for conducting condensed ref'rigerant into one of the passages and forcondnct ing evaporated refrigerant from said passage, a secondary cooling unit having a passage therein, and conduits connecting the passage of{ the secondary cooling unit to one of the other passages in said integral strip to form therewith a closed circuitous path for a fluid cooling medium, said secondary cooling unit being located at an elevation lower than the primary cooling unit for the circulation of the fluid cooling medium by thermosiphon. action.

4. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a strip of extruded metal having a plurality of passageways integrally formed therewith and running lengthwise therethrough in heat' exchange relationship substantially from end to end of the strip, said strip being fashioned into runs or coils to form a primary cooling element, means for conducting condensed refrigerant into one of the passages and for conducting evaporated refrigerant from said passage, a secondary cooling unit having a passage therein, and conduits connecting the passage of the secondary cooling unit to one of the other passages in said integral strip to form therewith a closed circuitous path for a fluid cooling medium.

5. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a'piurality of chambers to be refrigerated, a

strip of metal having a plurality of passages running lengthwise therethrough in heat exchange relationship substantially from end to end of the strip, said 'strip of metal being fashioned into coils or runs to form a primary cool-- ing unit disposed in one of the chambers, means for introducing compressed refrigerant into one of the passages and forconducting evaporated refrigerant from said passage, a secondary cooling unit in another of said chambers and having a passage therein, and conduit means connecting the secondary cooling unit to one of the said plurality of passages in said strip to form there- ,with a closed circuitous path for a cooling medium.

6. In a refrigerating system, the combination of three chambers to be refrigerated, a strip of metal having three passages running lengthwise therethrough, said'strip of metal being fashioned into runs or coils to form a primary cooling unit and located in-one of the chambers, means for introducing compressed refrigerant into one of the passages and for conducting evaporated refrigerant from said passage, and two secondary cooling units each having a passage therein and-- located respectivelyin the other two chambers and eachconnected with one of the other passages in said strip to form therewith closed circuitous paths, each for a fluid cooling medium.

'1. In a refrigerating system, the combination of three chambers to be refrigerated, a strip of metal having three passages running lengthwise therethrough, said strip of metal being fashioned into runs or coils to form a primary cooling unit and located in one of the chambers, means for introducing compressed refrigerant into one of the passages and for conductin evaporated refrigerant from said passage, and two secondary 7o cooling units each having a passage therein and located respectively in the other two chambers and each connected with one of the other passages in said strip toform therewith closed circuitous paths, each for a fluid cooling medium,

the chambers containing the secondary cooling units being located below the chamber containing the primary unit for the circuitous flow of the cooling mediums by thermosiphon action.

8. In a refrigerating system, the combination of three chambers to be refrigerated, a strip of metal having three'passages running lengthwise therethrough, said strip of metal being fashioned intoruns or coils to form a primary cooling unit and located in one of the chambers, said three passageways being disposed in a row transversely of the strip,means for introducing compressed refrigerant into the center one of said passages and for conducting evaporated refrigmetal having three passages running length-' wise therethrough, said strip of metal being fashioned into runs or coils to form a primary cooling unit and located in one of-the chambers, said passages being lined up in a row transversely of the strip, means for introducing compressed refrigerant into one of the outside passages and for conducting evaporated refrigerant therefrom, two secondary cooling units, one located in each of the other of said chambers and having passages therein, means connecting one of the secondary cooling units to the middle passage in said strip to form therewith a circuitous path for a fluid cooling medium, and means for connecting the other secondary cooling unitto the opposite outside passageway in said strip to form therewith a closed circuitous path for a fluid cooling medium whereby there is a greater cool-' ing action on the cooling medium for one of the secondary cooling units than on the other.

10. In .a refrigerating system, the combina tion of a cabinet having three superposed chambers to be refrigerated, a strip of metal having three passageways running lengthwise therethrough, said strip of metal being fashioned into runs or coils to form .a primary cooling unit and located in the upper chamber, means for introducing compressed refrigerant into one of the passages and for conducting evaporated refrigerant therefrom, a. secondary cooling unit located in each of the other chambers, and conduit means connecting each secondary cooling unit with one of the other of said passages in the strip to form therewith a closed circuitous path for a fluid cooling medium for each of the said secondary cooling units, the cooling mediums for the secondary units being refrigerated by the said refrigerant and circulating in the respective paths by thermosiphon action.

WM. W. HIGHAM. 

